Lang Lang Piano Book 2

CD 1: Chopin: 24 Préludes, Op. 28: No. 4 in E Minor; Mendelssohn Bartholdy: Lieder ohne Worte V, Op. 62: VI. Allegretto grazioso MWV U161 'Spring Song'; Liszt: Consolations No. 2 in E Major, S. 172. Un poco piu mosso; Hisaishi: Spring; Mozart: Rondo in D Major, K. 485; Beethoven: Rondo a capriccio, Op. 129 'Rage over a Lost Penny'; Satie: Gymnopédie No. 1; Schubert: 4 Impromptus Op. 90, D. 899: No. 3 in G-Flat Major. Andate; Rachmaninoff: Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43, Var. 18. Andante cantabile (Arr. Korepanova for Solo Piano); Musashi Project: Sadness and Sorrow (from Naruto) [Arr. Telleria For Solo Piano]; Sibelius: 13 Pieces for Piano, Op. 76: No. 2, Etude; Handel: Minuet in G Minor, HWV 434/4; J.S. Bach: Prélude in C Minor "pour la lute", BWV 999; Wrangell: Rush E (2024 Version); Hurwitz: Mia & Sebastian's Theme (From La La Land) [Arr. Kerber For Solo Piano]

CD 2:
01 Chopin: Nocturne No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 9 No. 2; 02 Schumann: Carnaval Op. 9: XII Chopin. Agitato; Burgmüller: 25 Études faciles et progressives, Op. 100 No. 2: L'Arabesque. Allegro scherzando; Einaudi: Fly; Zhai: Main Theme (From Black Myth: Wukong) [Arr. Leung For Solo Piano]; Chopin: Fantaisie-Impromptu in C-Sharp Minor, Op 66; Uematsu: To Zanarkand (From Final Fantasy X); Tiersen: Comptine d'un autre été: L'après-midi (From Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain); A. Morricone / Morricone: Cinema Paradiso (Arr. Kerber for Solo Piano); Rachmaninoff: Morceaux de fantaisie, Op. 3 No. 2: Prelude in C-Sharp Minor; Beethoven: Die Ruinen von Athen, Op. 113 No. 4: Turkish March (Arr. Rubinstein for Solo Piano); Ann: ICARUS (Version for Piano 4 Hands)with Tony Ann piano ; Chen: Lovers' Oath (From Genshin Impact) (Version for Solo Piano); Nazareth: Brejeiro (Tango Brasileiro); Debussy: 2 Arabesques, CD 74 No. 1 in E Major. Andante con moto; Smith: I'm Confessin' (That I Love You) [Transcr. Francisco for Solo Piano];Adam / Hamilton: O Holy Night (Arr. Hamilton for Solo Piano);

DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 7878969
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Like one of those treasured compendiums of favourite poems that sit within easy reach on the bookshelf, Lang Lang's Piano Book 2 arrives as the ideal gift for anyone who loves the piano— a collection of miniature masterpieces to dip into at leisure, each one offering immediate pleasure and satisfaction.

Six years after his celebrated first Piano Book, Lang Lang has assembled 32 pieces spanning Bach to video game soundtracks and Chopin to anime themes. It's an enterprising and charming programme that reflects his populist instincts and his experience as a presenter on Channel 4's The Piano – a role that has clearly sharpened his curatorial skills in reaching the widest possible audience.

The playing itself is excellent. Whether tackling the familiar territory of Satie's Gymnopédie No. 1 or Rachmaninov's Eighteenth Variation on a Theme of Paganini, Lang Lang demonstrates the virtuosic finesse and sophisticated musicianship that has made him a household name. Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin receive his trademark powerful, indomitable style, though occasionally he over-pedals – a small price to pay in an album deliberately designed as popular favourites rather than a scholarly recital.

What makes this collection work is how Lang Lang the man and Lang Lang the pianist emotionally connect. The repertoire ranges from canonical lollipops to contemporary pieces by Tony Ann, Yu-Peng Chen, Ludovico Einaudi and Joe Hisaishi, alongside music from films like Amélie and La La Land, and Rush E and it's not hard to see why that became a viral sensation. Lang Lang's programme is calculated to motivate and inspire, whether you're considering taking up the piano, just starting out, an enthusiastic amateur or somewhere beyond.

One doesn't have to be an uncritical admirer to appreciate the album's intentions and achievement. This is easy listening of the best kind – thoughtfully assembled, beautifully played, and designed to remind us that classical music, in Lang Lang's phrase, is for everyone. Sometimes that's precisely what we need.